I’m taking the next couple of days to explore Turkey’s fertile textile basin. Sheltered by the mountains, along the river Meander (Menderes in Turkish) I’m looking into the craft of cotton weaving. For thousands of years this place has been a rich land and the site of numerous civilizations as well the highway of marching armies. Today it’s the heartland of Turkey’s export textile industry, a magic place, warmed by geothermal waters, wreathed in fog and shot through with dazzling slanted beams of light — which can afford you a glimpse of the calm and warmth through which people navigate life here. If you’re interested in the history and the feel of this place, I highly recommend Jeremy Seal’s excellent book Meander, which charts his journey from the river’s headwaters to the Aegean — it’s equal parts entertaining travel story and compelling history. For now, here’s a glimpse of the…